6 January – In Merionethshire, for the first time in centuries, the sword of the Gorsedd bards is solemnly unsheathed. "The chief bard invoked the blessing of God on British arms in South Africa, and announced that the sword would not be sheathed again till the triumph of the forces of righteousness over the hordes of evil."[1]

1.
Wales
–
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and it had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2. Wales has over 1,680 miles of coastline and is mountainous, with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon. The country lies within the temperate zone and has a changeable. Welsh national identity emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudds death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of Englands conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism, Welsh national feeling grew over the century, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters, two-thirds of the population live in south Wales, mainly in and around Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, and in the nearby valleys. Now that the countrys traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, Wales economy depends on the sector, light and service industries. Wales 2010 gross value added was £45.5 billion, over 560,000 Welsh language speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the land of song, Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness. The Old English-speaking Anglo-Saxons came to use the term Wælisc when referring to the Celtic Britons in particular, the modern names for some Continental European lands and peoples have a similar etymology. The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and these words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning fellow-countrymen. The use of the word Cymry as a self-designation derives from the location in the post-Roman Era of the Welsh people in modern Wales as well as in northern England and southern Scotland. It emphasised that the Welsh in modern Wales and in the Hen Ogledd were one people, in particular, the term was not applied to the Cornish or the Breton peoples, who are of similar heritage, culture, and language to the Welsh. The word came into use as a self-description probably before the 7th century and it is attested in a praise poem to Cadwallon ap Cadfan c. 633. Thereafter Cymry prevailed as a reference to the Welsh, until c.1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. The Latinised forms of names, Cambrian, Cambric and Cambria, survive as lesser-used alternative names for Wales, Welsh

2.
1900 in the United Kingdom
–
Events from the year 1900 in the United Kingdom. 9 January — Influenza outbreak in London,24 January — Second Boer War, Boers repel British troops under General Sir Redvers Buller at the Battle of Spion Kop.31 January — The Gramophone Company copyrights the His Masters Voice illustration. 5 February — The UK and the United States sign a treaty for the building of a Central American shipping canal through Nicaragua,6 February — The House of Commons vote of censure over the governments handling of the Second Boer War is defeated by a majority of 213. 8 February — Second Boer War, British troops are defeated by Boers at Ladysmith, South Africa,12 February — Meeting held at Mile End to protest against the Boer War ends in uproar. 14 February — Second Boer War, In South Africa,20,000 British troops invade the Orange Free State,27 February Boer War, In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé. Creation of the Labour party, Ramsay MacDonald is appointed its first secretary,28 February — Second Boer War, The 118-day Siege of Ladysmith is lifted. March–September — War of the Golden Stool fought against the Ashanti Empire,1 April — Irish Guards formed by Queen Victoria. 4 April — An anarchist shoots at The Prince of Wales during his visit to Belgium for the celebrations of the King of Belgium. 4 April — Queen Victoria arrives in Dublin on a rare visit,23 April–12 May — The Automobile Club of Great Britain stages a Thousand Mile Trial, a reliability motor rally over a circular route from London to Edinburgh and return. 24 April — The Daily Express newspaper published for the first time,14 May–28 October — Great Britain and Ireland compete at the Olympics in Paris and win 15 gold,6 silver and 9 bronze medals. 17 May — Second Boer War, Siege of Mafeking ends,18 May — The UK proclaims a protectorate over Tonga. 5 June — Boer War, British soldiers take Pretoria, South Africa, 19–21 July — Bernard Bosanquet first bowls a googly in first-class cricket, playing for Middlesex against Leicestershire at Lords. Mines Act prohibits children under the age of thirteen from working in mines,8 August — Great Britain loses to the United States in the first Davis Cup tennis competition. 14 August — An international contingent of troops, under British command, invades Peking,27 August — British defeat Boer commandos at Bergendal. 3 September — West Bromwich Albion F. C. move into The Hawthorns,3 October — Edward Elgar’s oratorio The Dream of Gerontius receives its first performance in Birmingham Town Hall. 25 October — Second Boer War, United Kingdom annexes Transvaal, 22–14 November 1903 — Strike of Welsh slate workers at Penrhyn Quarry. 3 December — The Conservative Party under Lord Salisbury wins the Khaki general election, winston Churchill is elected Member of Parliament for Oldham, and two Labour candidates are successful, Keir Hardie in Merthyr Tydfil and Richard Bell in Derby. 28 December — The Liverpool barque Primrose Hill is wrecked on South Stack off Holyhead,31 December — A storm causes a stone and a lintel to fall at Stonehenge, they are restored in 1958

3.
1900 in Ireland
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Events from the year 1900 in Ireland. 16 January — Three lion cubs reared by an Irish red setter go on view at Dublin Zoo,17 January — The different sections of the Nationalist Party meet in the Dublin Mansion Houses Oak Room to promote national unity. 6 February — The Irish National League and Irish National Federation re-unite within the Irish Parliamentary Party,28 February — Unofficial figures show that the Royal Dublin Fusiliers suffered the most in the Second Boer War. 12 March — The 45th Company of the Imperial Yeomanry leave Dublin for service in South Africa,1 April — The Irish Guards regiment of the British Army is formed by order of Queen Victoria to honour the Irish troops fighting in the Boer War for the British Empire. 4 April — Queen Victoria arrives at Kingstown and travels to Dublin where she is greeted by the Lord Mayor,7 April —52,000 children greet Queen Victoria at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. 23 April — At a meeting in Loughrea, Douglas Hyde complains of the rapid Anglicisation of the country,11 May — Edward Carson becomes Solicitor General for England and Wales and is knighted. 13 May — The rift in the Irish Parliamentary Party is healed as John Dillon,5 July — The British War Office issues a list of Irish prisoners of the Boers from the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. It names 473 men from eight companies,30 November — Oscar Wilde, dramatist and wit, dies in poverty in Paris aged 46. 31 December — Ceremonies all over the mark the closing of the 19th century. Richard J. Ussher and Robert Warren publish The Birds of Ireland, moira ONeill publishes Songs of the Glens of Antrim. 10 January — Harry Kernoff, artist,19 January — Frank Devlin, badminton player. January — Michael Donnellan, founder of Clann na Talmhan and TD.22 February — Seán Ó Faoláin,27 February — James Ennis, cricketer. 6 March — Mark Deering, Fine Gael TD.25 May — John Hunt,10 July — Paul Vincent Carroll, dramatist. 17 July — Paddy Smith, Fianna Fáil TD and longest-serving member of Dáil Éireann,22 July — Michael Davern, Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary South 1948–1965. 2 October — Hubert Butler, writer and historian,18 October — Sarah Makem, traditional singer. 23 October — Paddy Ahern, Cork hurler,2 November — William Norton, Labour Party leader, TD and Cabinet Minister. 19 November — Pamela Hinkson, writer,4 December — Tom Farquharson, soccer player. 23 December — Noel Purcell, actor, John Stewart Collis, writer and pioneer ecologist and his twin Robert Collis, physician and writer

4.
Welsh people
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The Welsh people or the Welsh are a nation and ethnic group native to, or otherwise associated with, Wales and the Welsh language. Prior to the 20th century, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh, the term Welsh people applies to people from Wales and people of Welsh ancestry perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and shared ancestral origins. Over 300,000 Welsh people live in London, the same etymological origin is shared by the names of various other Celtic or Latin peoples such as the Walloons and the Vlachs, as well as of the Swiss canton of Valais. The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and these words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning fellow-countrymen. They thus carry a sense of land of fellow-countrymen, our country, the word came into use as a self-description probably before the 7th century. It is attested in a poem to Cadwallon ap Cadfan c. 633. Thereafter Cymry prevailed as a reference to the Welsh, until c.1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. During their time in Britain, the ancient Romans encountered tribes in present-day Wales that they called the Ordovices, the Demetae, the Silures and the Deceangli. The people of what is now Wales were not distinguished from the rest of the peoples of southern Britain, all were called Britons and spoke the common British language, a Brythonic Celtic tongue. Celtic language and culture seems to have arrived in Britain during the Iron Age, the claim has also been made that Indo-European languages may have been introduced to the British Isles as early as the early Neolithic, with Goidelic and Brythonic languages developing indigenously. The genetic evidence in this case would show that the change to Celtic languages in Britain may have occurred as a cultural rather than through migration as was previously supposed. The assumed genetic imprint of Neolithic incomers is seen as a cline, with stronger Neolithic representation in the east of Europe, when the Roman legions departed Britain around 400, a Romano-British culture remained in the areas the Romans had settled, and the pre-Roman cultures in others. According to Stephen Oppenheimer 96% of lineages in Llangefni in north Wales derive from Iberia, Genetic marker R1b averages from 83–89% amongst the Welsh. The people in what is now Wales continued to speak Brythonic languages with additions from Latin, the surviving poem Y Gododdin is in early Welsh and refers to the Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin with a capital at Din Eidyn and extending from the area of Stirling to the Tyne. John Davies places the change from Brythonic to Welsh between 400 and 700, offas Dyke was erected in the mid-8th century, forming a barrier between Wales and Mercia. The genetic tests suggested that between 50% and 100% of the population of what was to become England was wiped out. In 2001, research for a BBC programme on the Vikings suggested a strong link between the Celts and Basques, dating back tens of thousands of years. The UCL research suggested a migration on a huge scale during the Anglo-Saxon period and it appears England is made up of an ethnic cleansing event from people coming across from the continent after the Romans left, said Dr Mark Thomas, of the Centre for Genetic Anthropology at UCL

5.
Prince of Wales
–
Charles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II. Known alternatively in South West England as Duke of Cornwall and in Scotland as Duke of Rothesay, he is the heir apparent in British history. He is also the oldest person to be next in line to the throne since Sophia of Hanover, Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. After earning a bachelor of degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons, Prince William later to become Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, in 1996, the couple divorced, following well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died in a car crash in Paris the following year, in 2005, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles has sought to raise awareness of the dangers facing the natural environment. As an environmentalist, he has received awards and recognition from environmental groups around the world. His support for alternative medicine, including homeopathy, has been criticised by some in the medical community and he has been outspoken on the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings. Subsequently, Charles created Poundbury, a new town based on his theories. He has authored a number of books, including A Vision of Britain, A Personal View of Architecture in 1989 and he was baptised in the palaces Music Room by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, on 15 December 1948. When Prince Charles was aged three his mothers accession as Queen Elizabeth II made him her heir apparent. As the monarchs eldest son, he took the titles Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince. Charles attended his mothers coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, seated alongside his grandmother, as was customary for upper-class children at the time, a governess, Catherine Peebles, was appointed and undertook his education between the ages of five and eight. Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school rather than have a private tutor, Charles then attended two of his fathers former schools, Cheam Preparatory School in Berkshire, England, followed by Gordonstoun in the north-east of Scotland. He reportedly despised the school, which he described as Colditz in kilts. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, Charles emulated his father in becoming Head Boy and he left in 1967, with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, at grades B and C, respectively. Tradition was broken again when Charles proceeded straight from school into university

6.
Edward VII
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Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, before his accession to the throne, he served as heir apparent and held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. During the long reign of his mother, he was excluded from political power. He travelled throughout Britain performing ceremonial duties, and represented Britain on visits abroad. His tours of North America in 1860 and the Indian subcontinent in 1875 were popular successes, as king, Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. He reinstituted traditional ceremonies as public displays and broadened the range of people with whom royalty socialised and he died in 1910 in the midst of a constitutional crisis that was resolved the following year by the Parliament Act 1911, which restricted the power of the unelected House of Lords. Edward was born at 10,48 in the morning on 9 November 1841 in Buckingham Palace and he was the eldest son and second child of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was christened Albert Edward at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle and he was named Albert after his father and Edward after his maternal grandfather Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. He was known as Bertie to the family throughout his life. As the eldest son of the British sovereign, he was automatically Duke of Cornwall, as a son of Prince Albert, he also held the titles of Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Saxony. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 8 December 1841, Earl of Dublin on 17 January 1850, a Knight of the Garter on 9 November 1858, and a Knight of the Thistle on 24 May 1867. In 1863, he renounced his rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in favour of his younger brother. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were determined that their eldest son should have an education that would prepare him to be a constitutional monarch. At age seven, Edward embarked on an educational programme devised by Prince Albert. Unlike his elder sister Victoria, Edward did not excel in his studies and he tried to meet the expectations of his parents, but to no avail. Although Edward was not a diligent student—his true talents were those of charm, sociability and tact—Benjamin Disraeli described him as informed, intelligent, after the completion of his secondary-level studies, his tutor was replaced by a personal governor, Robert Bruce. After an educational trip to Rome, undertaken in the first few months of 1859, he spent the summer of that year studying at the University of Edinburgh under, among others, in October, he matriculated as an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford. Now released from the strictures imposed by his parents, he enjoyed studying for the first time

7.
Princess of Wales
–
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of the Prince of Wales, who is, since the 14th century, the heir apparent of the English or British monarch. The first acknowledged title holder was Eleanor de Montfort, wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and it has subsequently been used by wives of post-conquest princes of Wales. The title is held by Camilla, second wife of Charles. She does not, however, use the title, as it has remained associated with the previous holder. Instead, she uses the title Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess of Wales is not a princess in her own right. For most of her childhood, Mary was her fathers only legitimate heir, for example, Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives dedicated his Satellitium Animi to Dominæ Mariæ Cambriæ Principi, Henrici Octavi Angliæ Regis Filiæ. When a title was discussed for the future Elizabeth II, the possibility of investing her as Princess of Wales in her own right was raised, but proved problematical. If it were used by Princess Elizabeth, it would have degraded her right as a Princess of the United Kingdom unless Letters Patent or legislation were introduced to the contrary. Furthermore, if the then-Princess Elizabeth had been given the title of Princess of Wales, therefore, King George VI decided not to grant his elder daughter the title. The Princess of Wales, by virtue of her marriage to the Prince of Wales, takes on the equivalent of her husbands titles. Of all these titles, Princess of Wales has been used officially, however, as with the example of the current holder, a subsidiary title may just as easily and lawfully be used. The Princess of Wales also holds the titles of Duchess of Cornwall and Countess of Chester, as the wife of the Prince of Wales who is also Duke of Cornwall, several consorts of Welsh princes of Wales were theoretically princesses of Wales while their husbands were in power. The only consort of a Welsh prince definitively shown to have used the title was Eleanor de Montfort, the English bride of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. Their only child was Gwenllian of Wales, who was taken prisoner as an infant following her fathers death. herein is kept the Princess of Wales, whom we have to maintain. This is a list of Princesses of Wales who held the title by their marriage to the Prince of Wales The Green Howards, tystiolaeth Garth Celyn Y Traethodydd 1998 ISSN 0969-8930 Fryer, M. Mary Beacock Fryer, Arthur Bousfield, Garry Toffoli. Lives of the Princesses of Wales

8.
Alexandra of Denmark
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Alexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor Edward VII. At the age of sixteen, she was chosen as the wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. They married eighteen months later in 1863, the year her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX. She was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has held that title. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she attempted to sway the opinion of British ministers and her husbands family to favour Greek. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work, on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Albert Edward became king-emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. She held the status until Edwards death in 1910 and she greatly distrusted her nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II, and supported her son during World War I, in which Britain and its allies fought Germany. Her father was Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel, although she was of royal blood, her family lived a comparatively normal life. They did not possess great wealth, her fathers income from a commission was about £800 per year and their house was a rent-free grace. Occasionally, Hans Christian Andersen was invited to call and tell the stories before bedtime. In 1848, King Christian VIII of Denmark died and his only son, Frederick was childless, had been through two unsuccessful marriages, and was assumed to be infertile. A succession crisis arose as Frederick ruled in both Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein, and the rules of each territory differed. In Holstein, the Salic law prevented inheritance through the female line, Holstein, being predominantly German, proclaimed independence and called in the aid of Prussia. In 1852, the great powers called a conference in London to discuss the Danish succession, Prince Christian was given the title Prince of Denmark and his family moved into a new official residence, Bernstorff Palace. Alexandra shared a draughty attic bedroom with her sister, Dagmar, made her own clothes, Alexandra and Dagmar were given swimming lessons by the Swedish pioneer of womens swimming, Nancy Edberg. At Bernstorff, Alexandra grew into a woman, she was taught English by the English chaplain at Copenhagen and was confirmed in Christiansborg Palace. She was devout throughout her life, and followed High Church practice, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were already concerned with finding a bride for their son and heir, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. They enlisted the aid of their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia, Alexandra was not their first choice, since the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over the Schleswig-Holstein Question and most of the British royal familys relations were German

9.
National Eisteddfod of Wales
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The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music, competitors typically number 6,000 or more, and overall attendance generally exceeds 150,000 visitors. The National Eisteddfod is traditionally held in the first week of August, the venue is officially proclaimed a year in advance, at which time the themes and texts for the competitions are published. The organisation for the location will have begun a year or more earlier, the Eisteddfod Act of 1959 allowed local authorities to give financial support to the event. Occasionally the Eisteddfod has been held in England, this is noted in italics in the table of past locations. Hundreds of tents, pavilions and booths are erected in a space to create the maes. The space required for this means that it is rare for the Eisteddfod to be in a city or town, car parking for day visitors alone requires several large fields, and many people camp on the site for the whole week. However, the Gorsedd is not an ancient institution or a pagan ceremony but rather a romantic creation by Iolo Morganwg in the 1790s, nevertheless, it is taken very seriously, and an award of a crown or a chair for poetry is a great honour. The Chairing and Crowning ceremonies are the highlights of the week, other important awards include the Prose Medal. If no stone circle is already, one is created out of Gorsedd stones. These stone circles are all across Wales and signify the Eisteddfod having visited a community. As a cost-saving measure, the 2005 Eisteddfod was the first to use a temporary fibre-glass stone circle for the druidic ceremonies instead of a permanent stone circle. This also has the benefit of bringing the Gorsedd ceremonies onto the maes, previously they were held many miles away. The ceremonies may still be held if the weather at the maes is not considered suitable. As well as the pavilion with the main stage, there are other venues through the week. Some are fixtures every year, hosting gigs, some eisteddfod-goers never go near the main pavilion, but spend their time wandering the maes and meeting friends. Since 2004, alcohol has been sold on the maes, previously there was a no-alcohol policy, local theatres are likely to time Welsh-language productions for around the time of the Eisteddfod, hoping to benefit from the influx of visitors. One of the most dramatic events in Eisteddfod history was the award of the 1917 chair to the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans, bardic name Hedd Wyn, for the poem Yr Arwr

10.
Merionethshire
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Merionethshire or Merioneth is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county. The spelling of the Welsh name in modern orthography is Meirionnydd or Sir Feirionnydd, with a double <nn>. Merionethshire is a county, bounded to the north by Caernarfonshire, to the east by Denbighshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Cardiganshire. With a total area of 1,731 km², it is one of the sparsely populated counties in Great Britain. The Merioneth area remains one of the strongest Welsh-speaking parts of Wales, the coastline consists alternately of cliffs and stretches of sand and the area generally is the most mountainous in Wales, a large part of the Snowdonia National Park lies within it. The greatest heights are Aran Fawddwy 905 m and Cadair Idris 893 m, the chief rivers are the Dwyryd, the Mawddach and the Dyfi. Waterfalls and small lakes are numerous, the largest being Bala Lake, an administrative county of Merioneth was created under the Local Government Act 1888 on 1 April 1889. The first election to the new authority was held in January 1889, the county was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974. The bulk formed the Meirionnydd district of Gwynedd, with an area in the north east, Edeirnion Rural District. The latter area was, however, renamed Gwynedd almost immediately, the main towns are Dolgellau Aberdyfi Bala Barmouth Blaenau Ffestiniog Corwen Ffestiniog Harlech Tywyn The main industries today are agriculture, forestry and tourism

11.
Gorsedd
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A gorsedd /ˈɡɔːrsɛð/ plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning throne and it is often spelled gorsedh in Cornwall and goursez in Brittany, reflecting the spellings in the Cornish and Breton languages, respectively. When the term is used without qualification, it refers to the national Gorsedd of Wales, namely Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain. However, other gorseddau exist, such as the Cornish Gorsedh Kernow, gorseddau exist to promote literary scholarship and the creation of poetry and music. As part of this, their most visible activity can be seen at Eisteddfodau – Welsh language festivals, nowadays, much of its ritual has Christian influence, and were given further embellishment in the 1930s by Archdruid Cynan. The Gorsedd y Beirdd made its first appearance at the Eisteddfod at the Ivy Bush Inn in Carmarthen in 1819 and it is an association of poets, writers, musicians, artists and individuals who have made a significant and distinguished contribution to Welsh language, literature, and culture. The fictitious origin of these ceremonies was established by Professor G. J. Williams in works touching on Iolo Morgannwg, there are three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd. Until 2012 they were, in ascending order of honour, Ovates, who wear green robes, Bards, who wear blue robes, and Druids, who wear white robes. The head of a Gorsedd is known as an Archdderwydd, and wears a golden robe and these ceremonies are held to honour literary achievements amongst Welsh poets and prose writers. The ranks within the Breton Gorsedd are the same, in the Cornish Gorsedd, there is only one rank, that of bard, and all robes are blue. In the Welsh Gorsedd, a person may become an ovate or a bard by passing an examination in the Welsh language, Druids may only be nominated by existing druids. Often a new inductee will take a pseudonym, called a bardic name, to become an Archdruid, an individual must have won one of the Eisteddfods three highest awards, the Crown, the Chair, or the Literature Medal. In 2003, Robyn Lewys became the first winner of the Literature Medal to be elected Archdruid, christine James was the first woman to become Archdruid of Wales. People are also made ovates or druids as an honour to reward their contributions to Welsh culture, in 1946, the future Queen Elizabeth II was inducted into the Welsh Gorsedd at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. In recent years, Ron Davies, Rowan Williams, Matthew Rhys, Ioan Gruffudd, three Gorsedd ceremonies are held during the Eisteddfod week, The Crowning of the Bard The Awarding of the Prose Medal The Chairing of the Bard. During these ceremonies, the Archdruid and the members of the Gorsedd gather on the Eisteddfod stage in their ceremonial robes, when the Archdruid reveals the identity of the winning poet, the Corn Gwlad calls the people together and the Gorsedd Prayer is chanted. The Archdruid partially withdraws a sword from its three times, and cries A oes heddwch. to which the assembly reply Heddwch. The sword is then placed back into its sheath

12.
HMY Victoria and Albert (1899)
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HMY Victoria and Albert was a royal yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The yacht was designed by the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy Sir William White, launched in 1899 and this was the third yacht to be named Victoria and Albert and she was fitted with steam engines fired by Belleville water-tube boilers. She served four sovereigns, and was decommissioned as royal yacht in 1939, served in the Second World War, built at Pembroke Dock and launched in 1899, she was completed in the summer 1901, seven months after the death of Queen Victoria. The vessel measured 380 feet in length by 40 feet in the beam with a tonnage of 4,700, the total cost of the ship was £572,000, five-sevenths the cost of the battleship HMS Renown. During fitting-out the yacht had significant extra weight added including concrete ballast and this extra weight proved to be beyond the original design parameters and resulted in the ship tipping over when the dock was flooded – causing significant damage to the ship. Designer Sir William White was exonerated from direct responsibility, but lost confidence, Victoria and Albert was commissioned at Portsmouth 23 July 1901 by Commodore the Hon. Hedworth Lambton, who hoisted his broad pennant. Nearly all the company of 230 men of the old HMY Victoria and Albert II were transferred to the new yacht. King Edward later used the yacht for summer cruises most years of his reign, Victoria and Albert later served King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI, and took part in two fleet reviews, but was withdrawn after the latter and decommissioned in 1939. She served as a ship during the Second World War, as an accommodation ship to HMS Excellent. During 1947, while moored alongside at Whale Island, her caretaker was Mr J. G and he was responsible for the care of her contents, some of which were selected for eventual use in HMY Britannia. Although there were plans for a new yacht to be built these were suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War, eventually HMY Britannia replaced Victoria and Albert in 1954. The Metal Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy 1860-1970, maritimeQuest photo gallery, Victoria and Albert Video of Victoria and Albert at the opening ceremony of Southamptons King George V dry dock in July 1933

13.
Dry dock
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A dry dock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, the use of dry docks in China goes at least as far back the 10th century A. D. The upper works included several decks with cabins and saloons. After many years, their hulls decayed and needed repairs, so in the Hsi-Ning reign period a palace official Huang Huai-Hsin suggested a plan. A large basin was excavated at the end of the Chin-ming Lake capable of containing the dragon ships. Then so that the quickly filled with water, after which the ships were towed in above the beams. The the water was pumped out by wheels so that the ships rested quite in the air, when the repairs were complete, the water was let in again, so that the ships were afloat once more. The first English and oldest surviving dry dock still in use was commissioned by Henry VII of England at HMNB Portsmouth in 1495 and this dry dock currently holds the worlds oldest commissioned warship, HMS Victory. Possibly the earliest description of a floating dock comes from a small Italian book printed in Venice in 1560, called Descrittione dellartifitiosa machina. In the booklet, an unknown author asks for the privilege of using a new method for the salvaging of a ship and then proceeds to describe. The included woodcut shows a ship flanked by two large floating trestles, forming a roof above the vessel, the ship is pulled in an upright position by a number of ropes attached to the superstructure. The Alfredo da Silva Dry Dock, of the Lisnave Dockyards in Almada, Portugal, was the largest in the world until 2000, harland and Wolff Heavy Industries in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is the site of a large dry dock 556 by 93 metres. The massive cranes are named after the Biblical figures Samson and Goliath, Goliath stands 96 m tall, while Samson is taller at 106 m. The Saint-Nazaires Chantiers de lAtlantique owns one of the biggest in the world,1,200 by 60 metres, the largest graving dock of the Mediterranean as of 2009 is at the Hellenic Shipyards S. A. The largest roofed dry dock is at the German Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, it is 504 m long,125 m wide, Dry Dock 12 at Newport News Shipbuilding is 662 by 76 metres the largest dry dock in the USA. The largest floating-dock in North America named The Vigorous and it is operated Vigor Industries in Portland, OR, in the Swan Island industrial area along the Willamette River. The keel blocks as well as the block are placed on the floor of the dock in accordance with the docking plan of the ship. Routine use of dry docks is for the graving i. e. the cleaning, removal of barnacles and rust, some fine-tuning of the ships position can be done by divers while there is still some water left to manoeuvre it about

14.
Pembroke Dock
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Pembroke Dock is a community and a town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard. It is the third largest town in Pembrokeshire after Haverfordwest and Milford Haven, from the 790s until the Norman Invasion in 1066, the Milford Haven estuary was used occasionally by Vikings looking for shelter. During one visit, the Viking chieftain Hubba wintered in the haven with 23 ships, in 1172, three years after the Norman Invasion of Ireland, having prepared his fleet and army in the mouth of the Pembroke River, Henry II of England sailed there from the haven. Prior to 1814, the site of modern Pembroke Dock and its settlements were mostly farmland. The first recorded mention of Paterchurch was in 1289, in the area a medieval tower was built and, like nearby 18th century and 19th century fortifications, it may have served as a lookout post. By the 17th century, additional domestic and farm buildings close to the tower. The ruin of the tower now lies within the walls of the dockyard, Paterchurch Tower was the centre of an estate said to stretch from Pennar Point to Cosheston. This changed hands in 1422 when Ellen de Paterchurch married a John Adams, prior to the building of the town and before the dockyard was thought of, various sales and exchanges took place between the principal local landowners – the Adams, Owen and Meyrick families. These exchanges left the Meyricks in control of most of the land on which the dockyard, by 1802 the Paterchurch buildings were mostly ruins. The origins of naval shipbuilding on Milford Haven were in the shipyard of Jacobs on the north side of the Haven at Milford. In November 1757, the Admiralty sent a delegation to the haven. It should be noted that no place as Milford existed at this time. Secondly, the report showed early signs of lobbying existing, with the scale of the local infrastructure and ship building activity exaggerated. In partnership with the administrator, his nephew and heir the Hon. Charles Grenville. They began by building a shipyard, and leased it to a Messrs, in December 1796, in an unusual arrangement, the Admiralty directed the Navy Board to contract Jacobs shipyard to build a frigate and later a 74-gun ship-of-the-line. However, due to a lack of local standing oak, access to supplies of timber from the Baltic, and local skills in volume. The Navy took over the lease, and employed royalist French naval architect M. Rennie Barallier and his son as Builder

15.
Belgium
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Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and the North Sea. It is a small, densely populated country which covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres and has a population of about 11 million people. Additionally, there is a group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, the region was called Belgica in Latin, after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, today, Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. It is divided into three regions and three communities, that exist next to each other and its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region is a bilingual enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia, Belgiums linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Upon its independence, declared in 1830, Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution and, during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number of colonies in Africa. This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms, resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993. Belgium is also a member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD and WTO. Its capital, Brussels, hosts several of the EUs official seats as well as the headquarters of major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area, Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as very high in the Human Development Index. A gradual immigration by Germanic Frankish tribes during the 5th century brought the area under the rule of the Merovingian kings, a gradual shift of power during the 8th century led the kingdom of the Franks to evolve into the Carolingian Empire. Many of these fiefdoms were united in the Burgundian Netherlands of the 14th and 15th centuries, the Eighty Years War divided the Low Countries into the northern United Provinces and the Southern Netherlands. The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs and this was the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. The reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire in 1815, although the franchise was initially restricted, universal suffrage for men was introduced after the general strike of 1893 and for women in 1949. The main political parties of the 19th century were the Catholic Party, French was originally the single official language adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie

16.
River Ely
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The River Ely is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff. The river is about 24 miles, or 39 kilometres, long and its source lies in the mountains to the south of Tonypandy, near the town of Tonyrefail. The rivers numerous sources rise in the slopes of Mynydd Penygraig and Mynydd y Gilfach. The source of the Ogwr Fach lies just to the west, flowing through Talbot Green, the Ely is joined by the Afon Clun at Pontyclun, before heading east to Miskin. Although numerous smaller streams join the river, the Clun is its large tributary. It passes the Museum of Welsh Life at St, prior to the 1980s it had received large volumes of poorly treated or untreated sewage from the urban areas in the valleys. Even after the construction of treatment works at Miskin and Rhiwsaeson. These problems were exacerbated by the highly polluting discharge from Coedely coke ovens, at the mouth of the river, the effluent a large paper mill rendered large parts of the estuary anoxic for most of the tidal cycle preventing the passage of migratory fish. As the pollution of the river abated, so fish populations slowly returned to the river from the small tributaries. Roach, Brown trout, perch, chub, eel, grayling, sea trout and salmon, the Countryside Council for Wales and Cardiff Council are developing a cycleway beside the river known as the Ely Trail. The intended benefits are to people from urban western Cardiff easier access to the countryside. Parts of this trail are now open

17.
Penarth Dock
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Penarth Dock was a port and harbour which was located between Penarth Head and the River Ely, at Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales. It opened in 1865 and reached its heyday before World War I, the site has since been redeveloped to become Penarth Marina, which now opens into Cardiff Bay. Harriet Windsor-Clive, Baroness Windsor, whose Plymouth Estate owned vast areas of Glamorgan and she wanted a facility which could rival the new Cardiff Docks which were being constructed a few miles to the north. She was joined in the venture by several prominent politicians and businessmen and, in 1858, engineer John Hawkshaw designed the dock, work on Penarth Dock began in 1859. The dock was opened on Saturday,10 June 1865. Though Baroness Windsor and her grandson Robert were intended to perform the ceremony they failed to arrive in time for the high tide, the event was carried out by James Poole, the chairman of the Taff Vale Railway, who were the lessees of the new dock. Penarth Dock covered 26 acres and had a 270 feet long entrance lock. The Taff Vale Railway took a 999-year lease on Penarth Dock and they had initially been given incentives to build their railway to Cardiff Docks rather than Penarth. When they went ahead in 1865 and took a lease on Penarth Dock, Penarth Dock exported 900,000 tons of coal in 1870 and by 1882 was exporting 2 million tons per year. The dock was enlarged in 1884, in February 1886 Isambard Kingdom Brunels famous ship, SS Great Britain, in her new role as a coal ship departed from Penarth Docks towards Panama. It was, however, to be her final voyage when, after a fire on board she was diverted to the Falkland Islands, coal exports from Penarth reached a peak in 1913, with 4,660,648 tons exported in that year. Trade declined after the Great War, despite all the production of the western South Wales Valleys being sent via Penarth. In 1932 the Earl of Plymouth had to forego his royalty payments to help keep the dock in business, during the Second World War the dock was revived again as a training facility for stevedores and, in 1943, became a base for the United States Navy. But by 1963 Penarth Dock closed for a second time

18.
Royal Welch Fusiliers
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The Royal Welch Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and to part in the imminent war with France. The Royal accolade was earned fighting in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 and it was one of the oldest infantry regiments in the British Army, hence the archaic spelling of the word Welch instead of Welsh.56. During those decades, the regiment itself unofficially used the Welch form, the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Regiment of Wales on 1 March 2006, to become the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh. The regiment primarily recruited from North Wales and it should not be confused with the Welch Regiment, which recruited from South and West Wales. The regiment was formed by Lord Henry Herbert at Ludlow in March 1689 to oppose James II, in the following year, it fought at the Siege of Athlone in June and the Battle of Aughrim in July. The regiment embarked for Flanders in 1694 for service in the Nine Years War and it fought at the Siege of Namur in July 1695. The regiment returned to Flanders in 1701 for service in the War of the Spanish Succession, it saw action at the Battle of Schellenberg in July 1704, the regiment returned to Flanders in 1742 for service in the War of the Austrian Succession. It was in action at the Battle of Dettingen in June 1743, the regiment embarked for Germany in 1758 for service in the Seven Years War. It fought at Battle of Minden in August 1759, the Battle of Warburg in July 1760, the regiment was sent to North America for service in the American Revolutionary War in 1773. The light infantry and grenadier companies of the Fusiliers saw bloody action at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, All companies, except the grenadiers who were garrisoning New York City, fought at the Battle of Guilford Court House in March 1781. The regiment participated in every campaign up to the Siege of Yorktown in September 1781. At the surrender of Yorktown, the Royal Welch Fusiliers was the only British regiment not to surrender its colours, the regiment embarked for the West Indies in 1794 for service in the French Revolutionary Wars. It took part in the capture of Port-au-Prince in Haiti in 1795 before returning home in 1796 and it also took part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in August 1799 and fought at the Battle of Alkmaar in October 1799. It then went to Egypt for the Battle of Alexandria in March 1801, the regiment embarked for the Peninsula in 1810. It saw action at the Battle of Albuera in May 1811, the Siege of Badajoz also in May 1811 and the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812. It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813, the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. It also took part in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 when it fought under Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Mitchell, in the nineteenth century, the regiment took part in the Crimean War, the Second Opium War, the Indian Mutiny and the Third Anglo-Burmese War

19.
Beijing
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Beijing is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China and the worlds third most populous city proper. It is also one of the worlds most populous capital cities, the city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by population after Shanghai and is the nations political, cultural. It is home to the headquarters of most of Chinas largest state-owned companies, and is a hub for the national highway, expressway, railway. The citys history dates back three millennia, as the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political centre of the country for much of the past eight centuries. Beijing was the largest city in the world by population for much of the second millennium A. D, the city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates. Its art treasures and universities have made it centre of culture, encyclopædia Britannica notes that few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. Siheyuans, the traditional housing style, and hutongs, the narrow alleys between siheyuans, are major tourist attractions and are common in urban Beijing. The city hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, many of Beijings 91 universities consistently rank among the best in China, of which Peking University and Tsinghua University are ranked in the top 60 universities in the world. Beijings Zhongguancun area is known as Chinas Silicon Valley and Chinas center of innovation. According to the 2016 InterNations Expat Insider Survey, Beijing ranked first in Asia in the subcategory Personal Finance Index, expats live primarily in urban districts such as Dongcheng and Chaoyang in the east, or in suburban districts such as Shunyi. Over the past 3,000 years, the city of Beijing has had other names. The name Beijing, which means Northern Capital, was applied to the city in 1403 during the Ming Dynasty to distinguish the city from Nanjing, the English spelling is based on the pinyin romanisation of the two characters as they are pronounced in Standard Mandarin. Those dialects preserve the Middle Chinese pronunciation of 京 as kjaeng, the single Chinese character abbreviation for Beijing is 京, which appears on automobile license plates in the city. The official Latin alphabet abbreviation for Beijing is BJ, the earliest traces of human habitation in the Beijing municipality were found in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District, where Peking Man lived. Homo erectus fossils from the date to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago. Paleolithic Homo sapiens also lived more recently, about 27,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found neolithic settlements throughout the municipality, including in Wangfujing, the first walled city in Beijing was Ji, a city from the 11th to 7th century BC

20.
Boxer Rebellion
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The Boxer Rebellion, Boxer Uprising or Yihequan Movement a violent anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising that took place in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty. The uprising took place against a background of severe drought and the disruption caused by the growth of foreign spheres of influence, Foreigners and Chinese Christians sought refuge in the Legation Quarter. Diplomats, foreign civilians and soldiers as well as Chinese Christians in the Legation Quarter were placed under siege by the Imperial Army of China, Chinese officialdom was split between those supporting the Boxers and those favoring conciliation, led by Prince Qing. The supreme commander of the Chinese forces, the Manchu General Ronglu, the Eight-Nation Alliance, after being initially turned back, brought 20,000 armed troops to China, defeated the Imperial Army, and captured Beijing on August 14, lifting the siege of the Legations. Uncontrolled plunder of the capital and the surrounding countryside ensued, along with the execution of those suspected of being Boxers. The Empress Dowager then sponsored a set of institutional and fiscal changes in an attempt to save the dynasty by reforming it. The Righteous and Harmonious Fists arose in the sections of the northern coastal province of Shandong long known for social unrest, religious sects. American Christian missionaries were probably the first to refer to the well-trained, athletic men as Boxers, because of the martial arts. Their primary practice was a type of possession which involved the whirling of swords, violent prostrations. The opportunities to fight back Western encroachment and colonization were especially attractive to unemployed village men, the tradition of possession and invulnerability went back several hundred years but took on special meaning against the powerful new weapons of the West. The Boxers, armed with rifles and swords, claimed supernatural invulnerability towards blows of cannon, rifle shots, furthermore, the Boxer groups popularly claimed that millions of soldiers of Heaven would descend to assist them in purifying China of foreign oppression. The Big Swords, emboldened by this support, also attacked their local Catholic village rivals. The Big Swords responded by attacking Catholic churches and burning them, the line between Christians and bandits, remarks one recent historian, became increasingly indistinct. As a result of pressure in the capital, Yuxian executed several Big Sword leaders. More martial secret societies started emerging after this, the early years saw a variety of village activities, not a broad movement or a united purpose. Martial folk religious societies such as the Baguadao prepared the way for the Boxers, like the Red Boxing school or the Plum Flower Boxers, the Boxers of Shandong were more concerned with traditional social and moral values, such as filial piety, than with foreign influences. One leader, for instance, Zhu Hongdeng, started as a healer, specializing in skin ulcers. Zhu claimed descent from Ming dynasty emperors, since his surname was the surname of the Ming imperial family and he announced that his goal was to Revive the Qing and destroy the foreigners

21.
Colwyn Bay
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Colwyn Bay is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. Eight neighbouring communities are incorporated within its postal district, (Including Old Colwyn, Rhos-on-Sea, Mochdre and Llysfaen communities]. The western side of Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea, includes a number of sites associated with St Trillo and Ednyfed Fychan. Bay of Colwyn Town Council is a body, covering the communities in the urban area. The mayor for 2016 -2017 is Councillor John Davies, the town is situated about halfway along the north coast of Wales, between the sea and the Pwllycrochan Woods on the towering hillside. Groes yn Eirias was once a hamlet centred on the Glyn farmhouse but the area is now occupied by the Glyn estate. As with the rest of the British Isles, Colwyn Bay experiences a climate with cool summers and mild winters. Bringing 2011 figures into account that figure is now 33,549, the area is sometimes referred to by the name Bay of Colwyn. According to the census of 2001, 20% of the population can speak Welsh fluently, the highest percentage of speakers is in the 10–14 years age group, where 38% can speak the language. The town is dominated by the tourist trade, because of its famous beaches, a business and commercial centre with rail links and close access to the activities that are available in the surrounding countryside. Colwyn Bay is a Fairtrade Town as certified by the Fairtrade Foundation as part of the Fairtrade Towns scheme, Colwyn Bay hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1910,1947. The town has parks and gardens and many places of beauty such as Eirias Park. Colwyn Bay has received a gold award 8 times in the Wales in Bloom competition, in 2009 and 2010 the town has been invited to enter Britain in Bloom and has been awarded silver gilt in both years. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is nearby, the Porth Eirias Watersports Centre offers tuition in sailing, windsurfing and power boating as well as kayak and canoe hire. In 2013 it was nominated for Building Designs Carbuncle Cup, the Victoria Pier has been closed to the public since 2009 when a dispute between Conwy County Borough Council and the piers owner led to him being declared bankrupt. There are now arguments between whether it should remain standing or if it would be better to remove the pier. Rob Dix, Head of Business and Tourism in Conwy, has said, “The straight answer to ‘Will it ever be demolished’ is that the hope it will. We want to see it demolished for health and safety and visual reasons to be able to re-open that section of the beach, ”

22.
Dowlais Ironworks
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The Dowlais Ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, Dowlais Ironworks were the first business to license the Bessemer process, using it to produce steel in 1865. Dowlais Ironworks was one of the four principal ironworks in Merthyr, the other three were Cyfarthfa, Plymouth, and Penydarren Ironworks. The works was founded as a partnership on 19 September 1759, there were nine original partners including Thomas Lewis and Isaac Wilkinson. Wilkinson brought in his machine for blowing furnaces. The other partners brought in capital and various other leases and mineral rights, the furnace was established on the hillside above Merthyr, not an ideal location, but all the elements for production were at hand. However, the enterprise struggled, management being too thinly spread among the partners, in 1781, Guest purchased 7 of the 16 shares in the works and a second furnace was built. In 1786, John Guest was succeeded by his son, Thomas Guest, Guest introduced many innovations and the works prospered. Thomas Guest died in 1807 and his son John Josiah Guest became sole manager and his brother Thomas Revel Guest owned one and Whyndham Lewis, the remaining six. Guest established the works in the vanguard of the Industrial Revolution and the application of science to industry, under Guests leadership, alongside his manager John Evans, the Dowlais Ironworks gained the reputation of being one of the Worlds great industrial concerns. In 1821, the works supplied iron for the tracks of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Over the next three decades, iron was needed in ever greater quantities to build the rapidly expanding railways, Dowlais had many foreign orders for railways in 1835–1836 such as the Berlin and Leipzig Railway and the St. Petersburg-Pauloffsky Railway. Sometime during 1835, Guest made the acquaintance of engineer G. T. Clark, both had been involved in the Taff Vale Railway. In 1850, Clark married Ann Price Lewis, a descendant of Thomas Lewis, anns brother had sold her familys last remaining interests in the firm that year, to Guest. At its peak in 1845, the works operated 18 blast furnaces, employed 7,300 people, John Josiah Guest died in 1852, having become sole owner in 1851, and was buried at St. Johns church in Dowlais. Guest named Clark, his widow Lady Charlotte Guest and Edward Divett as executors, Lady Guest would be sole trustee while a widow but she remarried in 1855 and de facto control fell to Clark. Henry Bruce, later to become Lord Aberdare, replaced Divett, the works had been, for a while, in some decline and Clark took rapid steps to improve management controls, bringing in William Menelaus as general manager. The pair worked together and Dowlais again became a centre of innovation

23.
GKN
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GKN plc is a British multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, Worcestershire. The company was known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759. GKN is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE100 Index, the origins of GKN lie in the founding of the Dowlais Ironworks in the village of Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, by Thomas Lewis and Isaac Wilkinson. John Guest was appointed manager of the works in 1767, having moved from Broseley, in 1786, John Guest was succeeded by his son, Thomas Guest, who formed the Dowlais Iron Company with his son-in-law William Taitt. Guest introduced many innovations and the works prospered, under Guests leadership, alongside his manager John Evans, the Dowlais Ironworks gained the reputation of being one of the Worlds great industrial concerns. Though the Bessemer process was licensed in 1856, nine years of detailed planning, the company thrived with its new cost-effective production methods, forming alliances with the Consett Iron Company and Krupp. By 1857 G. T. Clark and William Menelaus, his manager, had constructed the Goat Mill, by the mid-1860s, Clarks reforms had borne fruit in renewed profitability. Clark delegated day-to-day management to Menelaus, his trusteeship terminating in 1864 when ownership passed to Sir Ivor Guest, however, Clark continued to direct policy, in particular, building a new plant at the docks at Cardiff and vetoing a joint-stock company. On 9 July 1900, the Dowlais Iron Company and Arthur Keens Patent Nut and Bolt Company merged to form Guest, in 1920 John Lysaght and Co. was acquired. Steel production remained at the core of the company, but under increasing profit margin pressure, due to a resultant global shortage of pig iron, in 1937 the company fired-up the single remaining blast furnace at Dowlais. In 1961 the companys name changed again to GKN Steel Company and these mergers heralded half a century in which GKN became a major manufacturer of screws, nuts, bolts and other fasteners. The company reflected the vertical integration fashionable at the time embracing activities from coal and ore extraction, after the First World War it became apparent that Britain was likely to follow France and more recently the United States in developing a large scale auto-industry. GKN acquired another fastener manufacturer, F. W. Cotterill Ltd. in 1919, in 1920, GKN purchased steel company John Lysaght and their subsidiary, Joseph Sankey and Sons Ltd. After training as an engineer, Sankey founded a tea tray producer. A pioneer motorist, he became friends with Herbert Austin. By 1914, the customers for sheet steel bodies included Austin, Daimler, Humber, Rover, Star. Production started in 1908, with customers including Herbert Austin and, later, in addition to his original factory at Bilston a new plant was established near Wellington, Shropshire, which was devoted to wheel production. By the time the business was acquired by GKN, the plant was supplying wheels to many UK manufacturers, by 1969 the highly automated Wellington plant was turning out over 5½ million wheels a year at a maximum rate of approximately 30,000 per day

24.
Taff Vale Railway
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The Taff Vale Railway was a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway, much of the TVR is still used for freight and passenger services. Coal mining and iron smelting had been carried out on a scale in South Wales for some centuries before the arrival of railways. Both industries grew significantly during the revolution, particularly as coal-derived coke could replace charcoal in the smelting process. Canals were built several of the valleys, to bring the iron down to the coast for shipping elsewhere. The Glamorganshire Canal, authorised in 1790, ran from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, the canal company were authorised to build tramroads from the canal to connect with nearby industries, and various foundries and quarries operated their own tramroads. Ten tons of iron and 70 persons were transported nine miles, Disputes between the Glamorganshire Canal Company and ironmasters led to proposals for a dram road to Cardiff as early as 1798. Congestion on the canal increased as traffic boomed, and the appeal of a railway route remained. In 1835 Anthony Hill, owner of the Plymouth Iron Works, asked his friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to estimate the cost of building a railway from Merthyr to Cardiff and to Bute Docks. On 21 June 1836, Royal Assent was given to The Taff Vale Railway Companys Act, the founding capital of the Company was fixed at £300,000, in £100 share units. The directors were Josiah Guest, Walter Coffin, Edward Lee, Thomas Guest, Thomas Guppy, Thomas Powell, Christopher James, Thomas Carlisle, Henry Rudhall, William Wait, William Watson, and Peter Maze. The act authorised a railway from Merthyr to the Bute West Dock at Cardiff, with a branch to Cogan Pill, as well as connections to the tramroads of Penydarren, Dowlais, and Plymouth. Company profits were capped at 7% originally, increasable to 9% subject to a reduction in the rates, the Act also capped the speed of the trains on the line to 12 mph, with stiff penalties for any speeding. These two clauses were later repealed, the branch to Cogan Pill, however, was abandoned in exchange for a long lease on Bute West Dock in Cardiff. Construction was started in 1836, and the stretch from Cardiff to Navigation House was opened in a ceremony on 9 October 1840. The stretch from Abercynon to Merthyr was opened on 12 April 1841, the railway was Single track for its entire length, with passing only possible at the six intermediate stations, Llandaff, Pentyrch, Taffs Well, Newbridge, Navigation House, and Troedyrhiw. The engineering of the 24 miles main line was relatively straightforward, the line mostly followed the course of the Taff valley, with largely gentle gradients, except for a short portion between Navigation House and Quakers Yard. Two stone viaducts were built by Brunel on the route, the first, at Pontypridd, crosses the River Rhondda, and the second bridges the Taff valley between Goetre Coed and Quakers Yard

25.
Cardigan Bay
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Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales, Cardigan Bay has numerous beaches, and a unique marine life. Smaller coastal villages include Cwmtydu, Nanternis and Llangrannog, major rivers flowing into the bay include the Afon Glaslyn, Teifi, Rheidol, Dyfi, Aeron, Dysynni, and Mawddach. Until the early 20th century, Cardigan Bay supported a strong maritime industry. Cardigan is located at the mouth of the River Teifi – hence the Welsh name, Aberteifi, and at the turn of the 19th century, at this time more than 300 ships were registered at Cardigan—seven times as many as Cardiff, and three times as many as Swansea. The central and northern areas of the Bay are the location of the legendary Cantrer Gwaelod, due to climate change and rising sea levels, the forest was buried under layers of peat, sand and saltwater. The Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation was set up to preserve the wildlife in the area. Other mammals, such as whales, Rissos dolphins and common dolphins, together with many species of sea birds, such as puffin. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Bay has been invaded by spider crabs, not a seafood normally consumed by British people, since 2010 the local fishermen have supplied the Michelin-starred restaurants of Raymond Blanc. A military testing range was first established in Cardigan Bay during the Second World War, the range is controlled from a main operating base located near Aberporth, known as MOD Aberporth. Historically, the Range has played a significant part in the development, today the Ministry of Defence range within Cardigan Bay provides a large secure safety area for the testing of air launched weapons and unmanned aerial systems. The Range is a significant employer in the West Wales area, the staff also work closely with the local communities to foster good relationships, which are vital to ensure the successful operation of the Range. The Range Danger Area covers some 6,500 km2 of Cardigan Bay from sea level to unlimited height, to supplement the safe operation of the Range, there are a number of small outposts located on the edge of Cardigan Bay and the Llŷn Peninsula. These outposts contain equipment that enables the Range to effectively assess the performance of weapons, qinetiq operates the Cardigan Bay/Aberporth Range on behalf of the MOD under the terms of a Long Term Partnering Agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to deliver defence test, evaluation and training services to ensure air launched weapon systems, associated sub-systems and UAS are safe

26.
United Kingdom general election, 1900
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The United Kingdom general election of 1900 was held between 26 September and 24 October 1900, following the dissolution of Parliament on 25 September. Also known as the election, it was held at a time when it was widely believed that the Second Boer War had effectively been won. The Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury with their Liberal Unionist allies, secured a majority of 130. This was largely due to the Conservatives winning 163 uncontested seats, the Labour Representation Committee, later to become the Labour Party, participated in a general election for the first time even though they had only been in existence for a few months. As a result, Keir Hardie and Richard Bell were the only LRC members of parliament in 1900 and this was the first time that Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons. He had stood in the seat, Oldham, in a by-election the previous year. It was also the general election of the Victorian era. All parties with more than 1,000 votes shown, mPs elected in the United Kingdom general election,1900 Parliamentary franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918 F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts, 1832-1987. The life of Joseph Chamberlain, volume Three 1895-1900, pp 571-92 on dissolving Parliament, newcastle and the Boer War, Regional Reactions to an Imperial War. Online Marsh, Peter T. Joseph Chamberlain, Entrepreneur in Politics pp 492-502, the Conservative party, patriotism, and British politics, the case of the general election of 1900. Journal of British Studies 40#1, 107-145

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Keir Hardie
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James Keir Hardie was a Scottish socialist, the founder of the Labour Party, and the first ever Labour Member of Parliament. Hardie started work at the age of seven, but was educated at home by his parents. Working in the mines, he became a full-time trade union organiser. His leadership of the failed Ayrshire miners’ strike of 1881 made such an impact on the mine-owners that they granted important concessions for fear of industrial action. Hardie was a dedicated Georgist for a number of years and a member of the Scottish Land Restoration League and it was through the single tax on land monopoly that Hardie gradually became a Fabian socialist. He reasoned that whatever the idea may be, State socialism is necessary as a stage in the development of the ideal, having won the parliamentary seat of West Ham South as an independent candidate in 1892, he helped to form the Independent Labour Party the following year. In 1900 he helped to form the union-based Labour Representation Committee, soon renamed the Labour Party, Hardie was also a lay preacher and temperance campaigner, who supported votes for women, self-rule for India, home-rule for Scotland, and an end to segregation in South Africa. At the outbreak of World War I, he tried to organise a pacifist general strike, James Keir Hardie was born on 15 August 1856 in a two-roomed cottage on the western edge of Newhouse, North Lanarkshire, near Holytown, a small town close to Motherwell in Scotland. His mother, Mary Keir, was a servant and his step-father. Hardies first job came at the young age of seven. Formal schooling henceforth became impossible, but his parents spent evenings teaching him to read and write, a great lockout of the Clydeside shipworkers took place in which the unionised workers were sent home for a period of six months. With their main source of income terminated, the family was forced to sell all their possessions to pay for food, one sibling took ill and died in the miserable conditions which followed, while the pregnancy of his mother limited her own ability to work. Making matters worse, young James lost his job for turning up late on two occasions, in desperation, his step-father returned to work at sea, while his mother moved from Glasgow to Newarthill, where his maternal grandmother still lived. At the age of 10 years old, Hardie went to work in the mines as a trapper — opening and closing a door for a 10-hour shift in order to maintain the air supply for miners in a given section. Hardie also began to attend school in Holytown at this time. Hardies father returned from sea and went to work on a line being constructed between Edinburgh and Glasgow. When this job was completed, the moved to the village of Quarter, South Lanarkshire. He also worked for two years above ground in the quarries, by the time he was 20, he had become a skilled practical miner

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Labour Party (UK)
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The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Labour later served in the coalition from 1940 to 1945. Labour was also in government from 1964 to 1970 under Harold Wilson and from 1974 to 1979, first under Wilson and then James Callaghan. The Labour Party was last in government from 1997 to 2010 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, beginning with a majority of 179. Having won 232 seats in the 2015 general election, the party is the Official Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the party also organises in Northern Ireland, but does not contest elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Labour Party is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Progressive Alliance. In September 2015, Jeremy Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party, the first Lib–Lab candidate to stand was George Odger in the Southwark by-election of 1870. In addition, several small socialist groups had formed around this time, among these were the Independent Labour Party, the intellectual and largely middle-class Fabian Society, the Marxist Social Democratic Federation and the Scottish Labour Party. In the 1895 general election, the Independent Labour Party put up 28 candidates, Keir Hardie, the leader of the party, believed that to obtain success in parliamentary elections, it would be necessary to join with other left-wing groups. Hardies roots as a lay preacher contributed to an ethos in the party led to the comment by 1950s General Secretary Morgan Phillips that Socialism in Britain owed more to Methodism than Marx. The motion was passed at all stages by the TUC, the meeting was attended by a broad spectrum of working-class and left-wing organisations—trades unions represented about one third of the membership of the TUC delegates. This created an association called the Labour Representation Committee, meant to coordinate attempts to support MPs sponsored by trade unions and it had no single leader, and in the absence of one, the Independent Labour Party nominee Ramsay MacDonald was elected as Secretary. He had the task of keeping the various strands of opinions in the LRC united. The October 1900 Khaki election came too soon for the new party to campaign effectively, only 15 candidatures were sponsored, but two were successful, Keir Hardie in Merthyr Tydfil and Richard Bell in Derby. Support for the LRC was boosted by the 1901 Taff Vale Case, the judgement effectively made strikes illegal since employers could recoup the cost of lost business from the unions. In their first meeting after the election the groups Members of Parliament decided to adopt the name The Labour Party formally, the Fabian Society provided much of the intellectual stimulus for the party. One of the first acts of the new Liberal Government was to reverse the Taff Vale judgement, the Peoples History Museum in Manchester holds the minutes of the first Labour Party meeting in 1906 and has them on display in the Main Galleries. Also within the museum is the Labour History Archive and Study Centre, the governing Liberals were unwilling to repeal this judicial decision with primary legislation

Wales ((listen); Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmri] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of …

Britain in AD 500: The areas shaded pink on the map were inhabited by the CelticBritons, here labelled Welsh. The pale blue areas in the east were controlled by Germanic tribes, whilst the pale green areas to the north were inhabited by the Gaels and Picts.